Berbay's Blog: Marketing for law firms, engineers, CPAs, architects and other professional services

I attended a networking event this morning and heard Jonathan Fitzgarrald, Chief Marketing Officer with Greenburg Glusker, give a presentation on personal branding. Mr. Fitzgarrald opened the presentation by showing us photos of people almost anyone would recognize: Oprah, Lindsay Lohan, “The Situation” from Jersey Shore, etc. He asked everyone, first, to blurt out the initial thought they had when they saw these pictures and, second, if that impression had changed over time. The group was unanimous in the words it used to describe these people: The celebrities clearly had personal brands. This exercise was designed to show that personal branding exists, and that the impressions we make on our clients, friends, co-workers, etc., create a reputation and make a difference.

One key part of Mr. Fitzgarrald’s presentation concerned likeability. Being likable, Mr. Fitzgerrald said, is one of the top factors that create your reputation and personal brand. I thought this was very interesting. We’re always trying to differentiate ourselves from the competition. Many of us focus on providing high-quality service, a personal touch, even alternative fee arrangements; being likable is not among the first five items on the list. Likeability comes down to being genuinely interested in what people are saying—listening more than you talk and really adding something to the conversation.I attended a networking event this morning and heard Jonathan Fitzgarrald, Chief Marketing Officer with Greenburg Glusker, give a presentation on personal branding. Mr. Fitzgarrald opened the presentation by showing us photos of people almost anyone would recognize: Oprah, Lindsay Lohan, “The Situation” from Jersey Shore, etc. He asked everyone, first, to blurt out the initial thought they had when they saw these pictures and, second, if that impression had changed over time. The group was unanimous in the words it used to describe these people: The celebrities clearly had personal brands. This exercise was designed to show that personal branding exists, and that the impressions we make on our clients, friends, co-workers, etc., create a reputation and make a difference.

Mr. Fitzgarrald closed with a personal story about how, when he and his five siblings would get too noisy while out to dinner with his parents, his dad would lean over and say, “People are watching.” The moral was that we should always bear in mind that “people are watching,” treating everybody (regardless of their professional stature) as if we were being judged on it. We should also behave consistently, Mr. Fitzgarrald said—dressing decently even to go grocery shopping, for example. What if you ran into a prospective client in your pajamas? Our behavior, even at the supermarket, plays into our personal brand.

What do you think of your personal brand?

In making the rounds of my Saturday errands this morning, I used the products and services of two different business people who understood the importance of the quality of their marketing materials.  We’re still human beings and even in this digital age, can’t get around the fact that touch and feel convey a lot about your business. Not just whether it’s a quality business but whether you believe that it’s a quality business, and whether you believe it’s worth investing in.  These providers conveyed their message not just through their corporate identity – the look and feel of their logo, but also through the firm, solid stock they used for their business cards.

Israel Garcia is a hair stylist and make-up artist at Gavert Atelier salon in Beverly Hills (310-858-7898). Awhile back he developed his own corporate identity and when I took another of his cards this morning, I remarked on the solid stock.  It’s clear he understood the importance of aligning his marketing materials with his positioning in the marketplace.  We extolled the weight and solidity of the paper stock, the fact that the black didn’t show fingerprints, and the spot varnish on his logo. I was impressed that he recognized these points, because most professionals don’t understand the difference factors like this can make.

Then, I happened on the Dana Davis pop-up store in Beverly Hills.  I wasn’t familiar with her line of shoes (www.danadavis.com), which I’ll be a fan of going forward, but again, we ended up talking about marketing material because I commented on the quality and solid stock of her business card.  I also liked her marketing brochure, which to me seemed an adequate weight, but she whipped out one from the previous batch, the way she’d really wanted them done, which was on a heavier stock and very nice.

What does this have to do with marketing your professional service?  How often do I stifle a cringe when a lawyer, wealth manager, or real estate developer—all of whom are targeting high end markets — hand me their business card on paper-thin stock.   Sometimes, they’ve made the investment in developing a firm identify – a key step in branding themselves, but they’ve put it on cheap stock, which belies their positioning.

The business people this morning understood the fact that all of your marketing pieces fit together to reinforce your message to the marketplace.

We often recommend to our clients that they identify and develop a niche—and they often reject the idea. Many of these professionals are concerned that specializing in one area will keep them from getting work in others. That’s understandable, but the truth is that in the final accounting, having a niche typically helps professionals get more work—including work outside their specialization.

I encountered an example of this recently, when my husband and I were on a trip to Krakow, Poland with a group of Americans. We were having dinner with some people from the group and the conversation turned to families and work. One man told me that his son, an architect, specializes in designing libraries; he has worked on libraries around the world. Apparently, the son didn’t set out to specialize in libraries, but rather designed one library; was asked, based on that project, to design another; and found himself in a niche.

Or perhaps “found himself” isn’t the right phrase. I’d bet he saw the niche developing organically and took advantage of that opportunity. And I’d bet he gets more commissions—including non-library commissions—because of it. After all, in marketing a professional service such as architectural design, a specialization is a point of differentiation, and points of differentiation help keep professionals at the top of potential clients’ minds. When an architecture project comes up, library or not, a potential client is more likely to think of this architect—because of his library niche—than if he were just a “plain vanilla” architect. There’s a reason they say there’s riches in niches.

So, professionals: Look over your client list and see if there are any natural clusters there. If there are, and there’s potential in that area, consider building a niche around it. It doesn’t mean you can’t market yourself outside the specialization, but it does mean you can begin focusing—and focusing always means more effective marketing and better results.

You’d think it’d be easy…just a smile and a click, right? Contrary to popular belief, taking a great-looking professional photo involves more preparation than that. Photos are a major part of your brand, and an inferior photo can make you look sloppy or unprofessional—exactly the message you don’t want to send. However, it doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are some quick and easy steps to a superior professional photo.

How to dress

Clothing is key and color scheme is especially important. We recommend staying away from patterns or stripes, which can overwhelm your figure and make you appear wider than you actually are. A solid, subtle hue that works well with your skin tone is best, as it says “professional” without overshadowing you or your personality.

Grooming

For women, brightly colored makeup should be avoided, as it can look gaudy or unprofessional.

Hair for both sexes should be neat but not tight or overly styled. That is to say frizzy or stray hairs can make you look frazzled, but hair slicked back or gelled down can look frumpy, outdated and aging.

A Note on the Camera

If possible, you should request your photographer to have the camera no lower than eye level, as it will decrease the chances of producing a double chin and will look the most natural.

In addition, plenty of light is a must. Try and avoid direct light as it will not result in a flattering photo, which is why photographs should be taken in areas with background light but no flash. Flash is notorious for washing out color and facial expression.

How to Pose

Posing can be tricky, but there are some tricks to make it simple. Whether you choose to stand or sit in your portrait, you should convey a relaxed, assured persona. With this in mind, it is essential to be comfortable while taking a picture, which can be expressed with a natural smile, good posture and fingers slightly bent, rather than clenched in a fist or awkwardly straight.

Sitting up straight with relaxed shoulders can make you look both sharper and fresher.

The typical pose is to arrange oneself three quarters towards the camera with one shoulder angled closer to the camera. You should also lean somewhat towards the camera to suggest interest and attention. Just remember to keep your head up slightly to avoid an unattractive double chin.

Say Cheese!

Now it’s time to smile! Like your pose, your smile should be relaxed and natural. You should avoid both a wide grin and tight-lipped smile as both are distracting and off-putting to viewers.

We recommend either a natural closed-mouth smile or an open-mouth smile with your lower lip down and relaxed, but with no gums exposed. Whatever you do, don’t hold your breath as it will immediately make you look uncomfortable and uptight. A genuine smile is always preferred.

Now You’re Ready to Go

These tips should ensure a quality photograph and send out the message to potential clients that you are a consummate professional. As they say, “a picture speaks a thousand words.”

We’ve been interviewing for a couple of account management positions in our firm.  Most of the candidates are recent graduates or have been in the working world a few years.

Everyone in our office, most of whom are young professionals themselves, have been amazed that emerging professionals haven’t been taught how to interview properly, dress appropriately, and arrive prepared. We’ve also had more than a few candidates who have scheduled interviews, not shown up, and not called. I’ll chalk this up to the anonymity – responding to a posting on craigslist – but we do talk with them on the phone first.

Here’s what we were taught and recommend to those interviewing:

In terms of dress, you can’t go wrong with a suit. This doesn’t have to be a formal, dark-colored suit, although that it makes a nice impression, but simply something that’s professional. If you’re wearing a dress, put on a jacket. In our ads, we’re clear that we’re not an entertainment PR firm, and we’re also not in fashion. Because our firm works with professional services, we want to see that a candidate understands how to dress professionally.  Although we dress casually most of the time, it’s only when we’re not going to a meeting.  We’ve had candidates arrive who look like they just wandered in, perhaps thinking, “Oops, I forgot, it’s time for my interview, so I’m just going to run over in my casual dress and sandals.” Another candidate dressed like she was ready for a night out at a club.  We had one candidate, who had some experience and presented herself very well, arrive in a fairly low-cut dress without a jacket. Even if she had worn the same dress but had a jacket on, she would have professionalized her look and made a much better presentation

In addition to seeming not to give much thought to proper interview dress, many candidates don’t remember to bring a copy of a resume. When a candidate dresses properly, presents themselves well, and has a resume to discuss, they make an overall better impression.

If you’re preparing for an interview and unsure of how to dress, err on the side of being conservative. You can always dress differently once you have the job if the environment is more casual. Don’t wear something low cut or inappropriately short. A man should wear a suit or at least a sport coat and nice slacks. If a woman opts for a dress instead of a suit, then she should wear a jacket. Wear dress shoes, not flip-flops, sandals, or running shoes. Additionally, if you’re not going to arrive, then be courteous and call. When you do go to an interview, bring a copy of your resume. Follow up with a thank you note, an email, or a thank-you letter. If you promise samples, then bring or send them. Overall, think about how you’re presenting yourself. It truly is like the old saying goes: you only get one chance to make a first impression.